New York: A Supreme Court judge in Brazil has ordered the suspension of Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, following a prolonged standoff over disinformation issues in the country. The ruling was issued by Justice Alexandre de Moraes after Elon Musk failed to appoint a new legal representative for the company in Brazil.
Elon Musk, who also owns Tesla and SpaceX, responded strongly to the decision, referring to Justice Alexandre de Moraes as an “evil dictator cosplaying as a judge” and accusing him of “trying to destroy democracy in Brazil.”
In a statement on the platform, Elon Musk said, “Free speech is the bedrock of democracy, and an unelected pseudo-judge in Brazil is destroying it for political purposes.”
The conflict between Elon Musk and Justice Alexandre de Moraes has been ongoing for months, as the judge leads efforts to combat disinformation in Brazil. Elon Musk, who describes himself as a “free speech absolutist,” has faced criticism since acquiring the platform formerly known as Twitter in 2022, with accusations that it has become a hub for right-wing conspiracy theories.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the “immediate, complete, and comprehensive suspension” of X in Brazil, instructing the national communications agency to implement the order within 24 hours. Additionally, he directed Google, Apple, and internet providers to “introduce technological obstacles” to prevent access to the X application and website. The judge also threatened fines of 50,000 reais ($8,900) for individuals who attempt to circumvent the block using tools such as VPNs.
X, which has more than 22 million users in Brazil, recently shut down its business operations in the country. Elon Musk claimed that Justice Alexandre de Moraes had threatened the company’s previous legal representative with arrest to enforce “censorship orders.” On Wednesday, the judge gave Elon Musk 24 hours to appoint a new representative, warning of the platform’s suspension if he failed to comply. After the deadline passed, X issued a statement asserting that Justice Alexandre de Moraes was likely to shut down the platform “simply because we would not comply with his illegal orders to censor his political opponents.”
The dispute between Elon Musk and Justice Alexandre de Moraes began when the judge ordered the suspension of several X accounts associated with supporters of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who had attempted to discredit Brazil’s voting system following his loss in the 2022 election. Brazilian authorities are investigating whether Jair Bolsonaro was involved in a coup attempt to prevent the current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from taking office in January 2023.
Among those affected by the judge’s orders is far-right ex-congressman Daniel Silveira, who was sentenced to nine years in prison in 2022 for leading a movement to overthrow the Supreme Court. In April, Justice Alexandre de Moraes launched an investigation into Elon Musk, accusing him of reactivating some of the banned accounts.
On Thursday, Elon Musk’s satellite internet company, Starlink, reported receiving an order from Justice Alexandre de Moraes that froze its accounts and blocked financial transactions in Brazil. Starlink argued that the order was based on an unfounded determination that the company should be responsible for fines imposed—unconstitutionally, according to Starlink—against X. The company announced on X that it intends “to address the matter legally.”
Elon Musk is also under investigation in Brazil for an alleged scheme involving the use of public funds to orchestrate disinformation campaigns in favor of Jair Bolsonaro and his associates.
Commenting on the situation, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva stated, “Any citizen from anywhere in the world who has investments in Brazil is subject to the Brazilian Constitution and laws.”
